New/ Old project. NYC 4-4-0

[bparrish]

So I'm setting out to reconnect myself to a project I started nearly forty years ago and set it aside as it required brass handling steps that I wasn't up to speed with at the time.  The Falk build of three years ago made all that apprehension old news.  So I'm starting again.  Originally I only got into the frame and promptly got stuck.

I put up a few photos of the pilot last week and Thom told me I should do this as a thread so as to show what it takes to scratch build something.  No telling how long this will take. 

Here is the objective.



This loco set the land speed record in 1899 and then later had smaller drivers put on it that were a bit more practical.  I'm do it as original.  This loco lasted in service for nearly 50 years and is housed today in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  My home town so another reason for interest in this project.

When I started on this I had already committed to small steam and truss rods.  This is a very tall loco and thus has a very distinctive appearance.

With that............. here we go.

see ya
Bob

[ACL1504]

I'll be watching.

Tom

[bparrish]

The frame is the oldest part of this.  It is cut from a piece of 1/2 x 3/8" brass channel stock.  I had a bunch of it in the 60's and am down to only a few inches left.

I sort of wish I had taken a photo of the frame as it was completely tarnished from  40 years in the drawer.



I soldered in Mantua bearings and made up the cover plate.

I have since found NWSL gear cases so I modified the frame for a tall gear reduction case.



The pilot was started last week on a daily page so I am bringing over some of them now.

I make up a layout on .008" sheet brass with the angles plotted and holes drilled.  This way everything stays parallel at the top and bottom of the pilot.



The .023" brass wire is threaded through the holes after the sheet is bent to the final shape for the pilot.



More later

[bparrish]

Once the pilot wires are in place a line of solder is put on from the back side.  I use liquid flux for everything so that the solder runs out in almost a plating like appearance.  Waiting for the rosin in the solder core takes too long and requires too much heat to make it roll. It's a good way to prevent unsoldering stuff on subsequent steps.





I put a square tube in for a coupler. 

The deck is still at this point not well shaped and it will need to be brought to the frame and be a single sheet all the way back to the piston block.

More later

[cuse]

That's some really fine work! Thanks for sharing


John

[bparrish]

The two photos below show the pilot deck mounted to the frame, with and without the piston block.





There will still need to be a bunch of fitting.  I will put in a styrene block on each side of the pilot at the top of the deck.  When consulting the photo, it can be seen that these ends were rounded.  Styrene and Squadron Putty can make up most anything.

[bparrish]

The next step is the pilot truck. It has spoked wheels and the ones I have are a plastic center with brass tires.

Not satisfactory.  I can use the spoke centers but brass is unacceptable.  It's all about the color on the final model.

So I'm going to turn out some tires out of cast steel.......... from none other........... plumbing pipe.

I snagged a piece of 1/4" galvanized pipe from a big box.  I chucked up in the lather and took off the zinc.

The first photos show the counter boring of the centers to .399" so as to receive the .400" plastic centers.  That is enough pre-load for a non driver application.

I made up enough tube to run off all four tires.



The next three photos are a PRIMATIVE tool post grinder that is nothing more than my Dremel snap tied to the cross feed.  It's super noisy but it works.  Shown below is the running down of the out side of the tires to the total flange height of .495"  This will give me a wheel diameter of about three and a half scale feet that looks pretty close to the photo.







OK......... no one is allowed to laugh..

Headed to the eclipse tomorrow and Monday so more on Tuesday.

see ya
Bob

[tct855]

Bob,
            I'm laughing with you, not at you on your last picture.  It's like you read my mind! ha.  I was intently looking & reading along and could almost hear the lathe running when I said to myself.

I said, self! I wonder what machine is he using which allows a dremel on it... and bamm! I see the next pic and I see the ingenuity you did.  Wonderful modeling technique my friend.  I'm learning & watching.   
                    Thanx Thom...

[RWL]

Bob,


Impressive work!


Your machinist skills from the Falk build were educational, this should prove as equal. Talk about ingenuity. Now we have two ESE's to watch on the forum. Great work!


Bob

[GPdemayo]

Another great brass build from Bob.....looking forward to looking in. 

[bparrish]

So here is the first of the four pilot wheels.

The spoke centers are plastic from some ancient thing I had around. 

The steel tire was turned out as shown above using the Dremel like a tool post grinder.

You could see above that the steel tube stock was just flying out of a four jaw chuck so no regular cutting tool could be used as it would push the stock into a taper.  A grinder like this really puts no load on the stock during cutting.  It is a little exciting as this is when you find out how much end float there is in a Dremel tool motor shaft.  Once it does make a cut however, it will run back to it so it isn't too tough.

The centers are pressed in with a minus one fit.  That is probably tighter than it needs but with no insullation ring due to the plastic center, this is really easy.

First the back.




Then the front.



Now only three to go.

see  ya
Bob

[tct855]

Bob,
          Turning your own pilot wheels! Wow!!!  That's over my abilities.  I'm still learning how to replate the plating on older hard to find drivers.  Keep teaching BP, I'm still taking notes. (raised hand here), What page are you on?   Thanx Thom...

[bparrish]

So I got a little bench time this afternoon and cranked out a second tire.  Then I got carried away and made up an axle for it and pressed them together.

I'm happy ! ! ! !

One more to go.





see ya
Bob

[PRR Modeler]

Very cool Bob.

[tct855]

Bob,
        Now you're just showing off to all us wantabees! ha. Nice job BP!  Thanx Thom...